Flushing, N.Y. – July 8, 2013 – An endangered southern pudu, (Pudu puda), the world’s smallest deer, was born at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo. The young doe weighed 1 pound at birth; could weigh as much as 20 pounds as an adult.

The fawn is still nursing but will soon transition to fresh leaves, grain, kale, carrots and hay.

Pudu have extraordinary characteristics: they will bark when they sense danger and can climb fallen trees. Although small in stature, only 12 to 14 inches at the shoulder, pudu are excellent jumpers, sprinters, and climbers. What the pudu lacks in size, it makes up in strategy. When chased, pudu run in a zig-zag pattern to escape predation.

Southern pudu are native to Chile and Argentina and are designated vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Using research and conservation practices, WCS is working in the pudu’s range countries to grapple with habitat loss and other threats to wildlife.

Contact:
Barbara Russo – 917-494-5493; brusso@wcs.org
Max Pulsinelli – 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org
Steve Fairchild – 718-220- 5189; sfairchild@wcs.org

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo – Open every day of the year. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10am to 5pm weekdays, and 10am – 5:30pm weekends, April through October, and 10am – 4:30pm daily, November through April. The Queens Zoo is located at 53-51 111th Street in Flushing Meadow’s Corona Park in Queens. For further information, call 718-271-1500 or visit www.queenszoo.com.